*Official* Second Test at Lords

[Pizzorno]

It's been a pleasure gentlemen, but the time has come for me to relinquish the cricket for the time being whilst I browse through the town centre with the girlfriend for an afternoon of complete underthethumbness.

 

[simmy]

This is great analysis from Hussain.

 

[Uppercut]

If Strauss and Cook - who are not especially strokeplaying batsmen - can score 126 in a session against mediocre (certainly not out-and-out dreadful) bowling, I shudder to think what the likes of Haddin and Hughes might (though clearly only might) do.

450 and England are behind the eight-ball, as I say. 550 would make the match competetive. 650 and England should be safe.

It's not a timeless test. Even if Haddin and Hughes get going chasing 450, at worst they're going to give England two more sessions at the end of the game to bat out on what will probably be an even slower, flatter surface.

 

[Top_Cat]

If Strauss and Cook - who are not especially strokeplaying batsmen - can score 126 in a session against mediocre (certainly not out-and-out dreadful) bowling, I shudder to think what the likes of Haddin and Hughes might (though clearly only might) do.

450 and England are behind the eight-ball, as I say. 550 would make the match competetive. 650 and England should be safe.

Disagree slightly. 450 is a hell of a lot of runs on any deck. At the very least, a team has to bat a day and a half just to get there.

 

[GIMH]

Don't reckon the whole two Tests so far are all that different from the last four Tests of 2005 TBH. All schedules these days are money-orientated to some degree because like it or not it's rather important for cricket boards to maximise income. I honestly do prefer this season's schedule to the 2005 one - only thing I'd have changed this year would've been Edgbaston instead of SWALEC Stadium. Edgbaston, Lord's, Trent Bridge, Headingley, The Oval is the perfect Ashes schedule for me. Only thing that'd be better would be if the ODIs had been played this year where the Twenty20 WC was and the Australians having another couple of tour-games.

Typical Yorkshire bastard

If we make 450 we're in big trouble here, almost for sure. We need 650 IMO, and even that might cause a few fluffles.

I agree, let's bat for two days, get ourselves in a position where we can't lose. With hindsight that is what we should have done at Adelaide, batted another session

 

[Uppercut]

I was thinking the bowlers should have attempted to bowl a few overs around the wicket. There was just too many balls being left alone. Perhaps, the change of angle might have forced the openers to play more shots early on in their innings before batting became real easy.

Before the toss?

 

[Son Of Coco]

Nice morning's work by Strauss and Cook - maybe especially for Strauss winning the toss.

The pitch is flat and it's possible to score quickly at Lord's and the bowling has again been well below the expected standard. But you still have to put the rubbish in the bin and it seems that they've done so effectively and haven't lost a wicket in doing so.

Anyhow it's nice also to be following the cricket again rather than quarrelling about Ricky Ponting's off-field pronouncements. That said, I sense that a certain tension in Anglo-Aussie relations has set in on this messageboard. Come on guys, the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 means that we should treat the Aussies like we would anyone else, so let's all learn to live together.

I was actually thinking relations had thawed a little. New test, new beginning and all that new age stuff you soap dodgers should be familiar with considering both yourselves and hippies indulge in similar hygienic practices.

It's been quite pleasant on here today, with a couple of exceptions. They came from our side of the fence too.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Honours even for mine. We beat the bat at least twice.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Yeah, he's had a great first session TBF. Kept me amused with just about every post.

Hopefully he loses concentration in the second session and the Australian posters manage a couple of breakthroughs.

 

[GIMH]

Found this thread entertaining to read back through, barring one person tbh. Seems a lot quieter than the Cardiff one was at the same point though.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Typical Yorkshire bastard



I agree, let's bat for two days, get ourselves in a position where we can't lose. With hindsight that is what we should have done at Adelaide, batted another session

In the first or second innings?

 

[GIMH]

Haha, no, that's a fair one

Obv I meant first innings mind you

 

[Top_Cat]

In the first or second innings?

Haha, score.

 

[ripper868]

Hopefully he loses concentration in the second session and the Australian posters manage a couple of breakthroughs.

I'd say a lapse in concentration is imminent after a perusal of his profile.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Well Australia are pretty much guaranteed Cook sometime soon.

He usually gives it away in the 60s, or if he manages three figures he gives it away soon after that - which will take him about another half an hour the way Australia are bowling.

 

[Richard]

It's not a timeless test. Even if Haddin and Hughes get going chasing 450, at worst they're going to give England two more sessions at the end of the game to bat out on what will probably be an even slower, flatter surface.

If we had a full fifteen sessions (which we're fairly clearly not going to get), I'd still back Australia (Hughes and Haddin are merely the quickest scorers of a quick-scoring bunch - that's not even mentioning Johnson) to take barely five to get 650. Thus if England got 450 in, say, four, then Australia would be firmly in the driving-seat.

 

[Uppercut]

Found this thread entertaining to read back through, barring one person tbh. Seems a lot quieter than the Cardiff one was at the same point though.

The first session at Cardiff was much more entertaining tbh.

Although really that's just upped my posting, because the cricket's not really worth watching as a neutral.

 

[Athlai]

Hilfy seems to have bowled well.

 

[Uppercut]

If we had a full fifteen sessions (which we're fairly clearly not going to get), I'd still back Australia (Hughes and Haddin are merely the quickest scorers of a quick-scoring bunch - that's not even mentioning Johnson) to take barely five to get 650. Thus if England got 450 in, say, four, then Australia would be firmly in the driving-seat.

650 in five sessions having been set 450? Jeeeesus.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

If England score 500 (big if still) and Australia dont collapse then with tomorrows weather report, i cant see anything but a draw.